Ladle bottom construction



1965 H. MCFEATERS ETAL 3,169,237

LADLE BOTTOM CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 8, 1962 INVENTORJZ HorryL.McFea1ers,RobertC.Lo n,

Ari .Dunn, RichardP. Krous doc rant.

United States Patent 3,16%,237 LABEL-E BUITOM (IGNSTRUCTIGN Harry L. lvicFeaters and Robert C. Laymm, New Castle, Arthur 6. Burn, New Wilrrington, Richard 2?. ilutler, .lnclr Grant, New Castle l en, assignors to Pennsylvania Engineering fiorporauom New Castle, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 3, I962, Ser. No. 37l,2-'l 3 Llaims. {CL Z-Z- -Sl) This invention relates to a vessel or ladle for teeming metal and particularly, to a so-called fiat bottom type which may utilize a bottom pouring nozzle and which is particularly suitable for a construction in which the bottom is sloped towards the nozzle to facilitate the operation.

l 'revious to our work in this field, it has been customary to secure the peripheral edge of the bottom Wall directly to the vertical side wall or shell of the ladle. We have discovered that this inherently defines an area about the shell wall in which stresses and strains are localized and which causes an early failure of the ladle. When molten metal is poured into and is being handled by a ladle, it will be apparent that the bottom wall not only has to withstand a considerable weight, but at the same time must withstand the high temperatures involved.

During the utilization of a ladle, temperature variations occur which also effect the life of the construction. Since the molten metal lies on the bottom wall member, it will be apparent that it is subjected to the greatest heat. It is important to minimize a heat differential between such bottom wall and its supporting side wall and, in this connection, to provide an efficient and eliective conductive transfer of heat between these two members under all conditions of utilization.

We have been able to devise a construction in which the bottom wall is supported and connected in a bridging or cantilevered manner from the side wall and is, in effect, indirectly secured to the side wall and in a spaced relation thereto. In employing our concept, we have also endeavored to provide a maximized heat conducting path between the bottom wall and the side wall, and Without localizing stress and strain on a narrow banding area as to the side wall.

Our present invention deals with an inexpensive and relatively simple construction utilizing principles of our concept, wherein radial or peripheral expansion spacing is provided between the bottom wall member and the vertical side or shell wall member, wherein high accuracy between the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall and the supporting structure is unnecessary, and wherein a simple weld joint may be employed between the supporting structure and the bottom plate member to, at the same time, provide an effective heat transfer relation between the bottom and side walls and through supporting and connecting structure.

It has thus been an object of our present invention to provide an improved bottom mounting structure for a ladle which will embody the principles of our concept in a relatively simple and inexpensive construction;

Another object has been to provide a bridging support and mounting structure for a bottom wall member of a ladle which will make use of the fiat under surface of such bottom wall member, as distinguished from its peripheral edge surface, in mounting and securin the bottom wall member with respect to an associated vertical side or shell wall;

A further object of our invention has been to provide a ladle construction which will eliminate the need for machining or accurately conforming the outer peripheral elge of the bottom wall with respect to the vertical shell wall or the supporting and connecting structure, and

which will be particularly applicable for employment where the bottom wall is inclined to facilitate the operation of pouring the metal;

These and other objects of our invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the illustrated embodiments.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a side view in elevation of a fiat bottom pouring teeming ladle employing our invention, and as partially broken away near its bottom to illustrate details of our improved connecting and mounting structure; this view is taken along the line I-I of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmental side section in elevation illustrating the connecting and supporting structure of the ladle of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view on the scale of and taken along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1, we have disclosed a ladle 10 having conventional trunnions for suspending it. The ladle It has a vertically-upwardly-extended, rounded, vertical side or metal shell wall 11 of somewhat frusto-conical shape. The wall 11, at its upward end, terminates in an open mouth portion 12 to receive molten metal from a furnace or other suitable source. A metal bottom wall or plate member 29, having normally substantially flat or planar r upper and lower surfaces, is shown extending across to close-off the bottom end of the pouring chamber defined by the side wall 11 and, at an upwardly-spaced position with respect to bottom edges of the side wall 11. The truncated tubular shape of the side wall 11 defines the molten metal receiving chamber for the ladle 19.

As illustrated particularly in FIGURE 2, the bottom wall 23 is shown provided with a pouring nozzle or spout 21 towards which it is adapted to incline slightly in its positioning to facilitate the pouring operation. Also, in its mounted relation, the bottom wall 29 has an outer peripheral edge Ztla that defines a clearance spacing c with the shell wall 11. oil by a fiat sealing annulus or upper rim member 22 that is secured, as by weld metal w, to project inwardly from the inner surface of the shell wall 11 and define a sliding surface contact with the top surface of the bottom member 20, adjacent its outer peripheral area.

An annular or circular metal flange or ring assembly 23 of plural member construction is shown positioned to extend vertically-upwardly from the bottom edge of the wall 11 to, at its uppermost end or edges, abut the underside of the bottom plate member 20 at its lower edge surface or adjacent to its outer periphery. The upper, substantially planar edge of each member of the assembly 23 is of somewhat triangular section (see FIG- URE 2) to facilitate securely (integrally) connecting it, as by weld metal w, to the bottom plate member 29. It is thus apparent that the full thickness of the members of the assembly 23 has a metal-to-rnetal contact with the underside of the bottom wall or plate member 20 to provide a good heat conductive path therewith. As shown, the members of the assembly 23 slope or incline downwardly-inwardly in a spaced relation along the side wall 11 from an abutting under-position adjacent to and aligned with the outermost or peripheral outer edge of the bottom plate member 29. The members 23 (as shown in FIGURE 2) support the bottom plate member 20 in a centrally-upwardly offset, distorted or warped relation, wherein the member 28 slopes radially-outwardly or declines outwardly and with respect to the nozzle 21. In FIGURE 2, the lower dot and dash line represents a true horizontal plane and the upper dot and dash line represents the plane of the slope of the member 20 to thus define the angle x. The incline of the bottom wall member 26? with respect to the horizontal is indicated by the angle x in FIGURE 2.

By employing an underside securing means of weld The spacing c is closedmetal w, we have been able to providethe bottom plate 23. That is, the weld metal w will be used to fill any irregular spacing that may occur between these two members. This constitutes a simple and effective type of joint between the supporting assembly 23 and the bottom plate or wall member 20. 7 j

The unitary structure of the assembly 23 is made up of a spaced group of flange members that in their spaced relation with the side wall 11, provide a bridging connector above a spacer member 24 with the outer peripheral area or portion of the bottom plate member 20. Such members are positioned about the inner periphery of the side wall 11, in a circumferentially-spaced relation with each other, to define debris fall-out slots 23a therebetween, see particularly FIGURE 3.

A continuous vertical metal spacer ring member 24 of annular shape and relatively thin section corresponding to the desired clearance or spacing 0, extends from a position that is substantially flush with the lower end of the side wall 11 and ring assembly 23, upwardly for a distance suificient to leave an opening above securing means, such as 25. The securing means 25 may be of any suitable type, such as spaced and staggered rivets.

The rivets 25 extend through the side wall 11, the ring member 24 and the members of the ring assembly 23 to rigidly secure them together in a flush, side-abutting, heat-conductive and force-transmitting relation with each other.

As shown particularly in FIGURES l and 3, a bottom reinforcing metal structure 26' is positioned beneath the bottom wall or plate member 20 and, at its longitudinal ends, abuts against the members of the assembly 23. The reinforcing structure 26 has, as shown, a pair of -laterally or transversely spaced-apart, longitudinallyextending, T-se'ction members 2'7 that are secured by suitable means, such as weld metal w, to the bottom of the plate member 20 over a relatively large linear area of sidewise extent thereof. Cross members 28 are secured at spaced locations along the T-section members 27 for increasing their rigidity.

As shown particularly in FIGURES 1 and 2, a corner or end portion 27a of the Web of each T-section member 27 is open or cut out to form a space b, adjacent the upper or fiexure region of the bridging or cantilevered support that is provided by the outer peripheral area of the bottom plate member 20 and by the assembly 23. This construction enables the expansion and contraction of the bottomplate member 20 without interference by the T-sect'ion members 27. The reinforcing structure 26 will absorb bending forces imposed upon the plate member, such as are caused by loading molten metal within the ladle. Since the structure 26 is only securely connected to the bottom wall member 20, differential expansion due to differential heating, may be effected by'centralupward arching of the member 20, such as indicated by the dotted position 20' of FIGURES 1 and 2. As previously indicated, the bottom member 20 (as shown in FIGURE 2) is, in effect, pre-centrally-upwardly-warped,

offset or distorted, in order that the. force of heat expansion will follow in the same direction in the path of least resistance and increase the offsetting, as indicated by the dotted line 24) of FIGURE 1.

Heat absorbed by the bottom plate member 20 will flow from the outer peripheral area of such member to the upper ends or edges of the members of the assembly 23, and through the relatively wide contact area defined by the members of the assembly 23 with the spacer member 24, to the side wall 11. The clearance spacing permits radial outward expansion of the bottom plate member without damage to the normal stress areas 13 of the side wall 11. Such expansion will be minimized .by the upward arching 0r flexure of the central area of the bottom plate member 2%. Any radial outward force the side .wall'll may have a thickness of about 1% inches, the bottom wall 20 may have a thickness of about 3 /2 inches, the members of the ring assembly 23 may have a thickness of about'1 /s inches, the spacer member 24 may have a thickness of about Mr of an inch, and the sealing ring 22 may have a thickness of about of an inch and a radial extent of about /2 of an inch. The bottom 'wall 2t may be mounted at an angle x of about 110 or on a slope of about A of an inch in twelve inches.

It will be apparent that this construction is relatively simple and that it eliminates the need for accurate alignment of the peripheral edge 20a of the bottom wall member 20 with respect to the side wall 11, as well as with respect to the upper edge of the members of the assembly 23. Although heat conduction is effected from an edge ther, we have found that it is relatively easy to effect an edge weld of the members of the assembly 23 to the outer area of the underside of the wall member 20.

Thus, a rather economical and simplified construction is provided without accurate controls, as by machining contacting surfaces. This construction provides an improvement over conventional structures, although it is not as efiicient from a heat conductive standpoint or quite as strong as other constructions of our invention. Incidentally, also this construction may be advantageously employed, even when no clearance spacing is provided by the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall 20, to provide improved results over conventional constructions wherein such edge is employed as the principal securing connection between the bottom wall member and the side wall 11. a

What we claim is:

1. An improved metal bottom construction of the character shown and described for a teeming ladle vessel that is subjected to temperature variations and deformations due to its use for receiving and discharging hot molten metal and that has a shell-like vertically-extending rounded enclosing metal side wall of substantially frustoconical shape terminating at its upper end in an opening and near its bottom end in a closure zone; wherein the bottom construction comprises, a circular and horizontally-extending metal bottom plate member for supporting molten metal within the vessel, said bottom plate member having an area and configuration defined by its outer edges similar to but smaller than the transverse area of the closure zone, a discharge nozzle extending through said bottom plate member adjacent a radially outer edge portion thereof for discharging molten metal therefrom, a support assembly of metal construction having arc-shaped vertically-extending metal flange meminwardly-spaced from the side wall of the vessel, said support assembly of metal flange members supporting said bottom plate member in an upWardly-centrally-otfset relation within the closure zone of the vessel in such a manner that said bottom plate member declines radiallyoutwardly from its upwardly-offset central area towards its outer peripheral edge portions past said discharge nozzle, said flange members being in an annular relationship about the inside of the side wall and sloping vertically-downwardly in a spaced relation therealong from said bottom plate member to the bottom end of the side wall, a continuous annular metal spacing member extending from a downwardly-spaced position with respect to said bottom plate member vertically-downwardly in abutment between and along the inside of the side wall and the outer side of said metal flange members along a relatively large heat conducting surface area below said bottom plate member to close-01f the construction below said connector portion, and a reinforcing metal structure having transversely-spaced-apart members weldsecured to and along the underside of the bottom plate member in such a manner as to provide for centralupward arching of said bottom plate member with respect to said support assembly when heat is imparted thereto, whereby the upwardly centrally-offset relation and radial outer declination of said bottom plate member is increased with the application of heat thereto.

2. An improved bottom construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said metal flange members are in a circumferentially-spaced relation with each other to define debris-discharging fallout slots therebetween along the inner side of said spacer member.

3. An improved bottom construction as defined in claim 1 wherein, the upper edge portions of said metal flange members are of triangular-shape, and the weld metal which secures them to said bottom plate member fills the upper edge portions of triangular-shape of each of said flange members to the full thickness thereof, so that said flange members are secured in their defined relation with said bottom plate member without the need for accurately machining them.

References (Jited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,683 8/35 Pollock et a1. 228l 694,937 3/02 Baldt 22-81 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,628 1913 Great Britain. 488,298 7/38 Great Britain.

MICHAEL V. BRINDISI, Primary Examiner. ROBERT F. WHITE, Examiner. 

1. AN IMPROVED METAL BOTTOM CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHARACTER SHOWN AND DESCRIBED FOR A TEEMING LADLE VESSEL THAT IS SUBJECTED TEMPERATURE VARIATIONBS AND DEFORMATIONS DUE TO ITS USE FOR RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING HOT MOLTEN METAL AND THAT HAS A SHELL-LIKE VERTICALLY-EXTENDING ROUNDED ENCLOSING METAL SILDE WALL OF SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTOCONICAL SHAPE TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN AN OPENING AND NEAR ITS BOTTOM END IN A CLOSURE ZONE; WHEREIN THE BOTTOM CONSTRUCTION COMPRISES, A CIRCULAR AND HORIZONTALLY-EXTENDING METAL BOTTOM PLATE MEMBER FOR SUPPORTING MOLTEN METAL WITHIN THE VESSEL, SAID BOTTOM PLATE MEMBER HAVING AN AREA AND CONFIGURATION DEFINED BY ITS OUTER EDGES SIMILAR TO BUT SMALLER THAN THE TRANSVERSE AREA OF THE CLOSURE ZONE, A DISCHARGE NOZZLE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BOTTOM PLATE MEMBER ADJACENT A RADIALLY OUTER EDGE PORTION THEREOF FOR DIOSCHARGING MOLTEN METAL THEREFROM, A SUPPORT ASSEMBLY OF METAL CONSTRUCTION HAVING ARC-SHAPED VERTICALLY-EXTENDING METAL FLANGE MEMBERS, SAID METAL FLANGE MEMBERS HAVING THEIR UPPER EDGE PORTIONS WELD-SECURED ALONG THE FULL EXTENT OF THEIR THICKNESSES TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID BOTTOM PLATE MEMBER IN VEARTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH AND ALONG THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF AND PROVIDING A BRIDGING CONNECTOR PORTION WITH THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM PLATE MEMBER WITHIN THE CLOSURE ZONE THAT IS RADIALLYINWARDLY-SPACED FROM THE SIDE WALL OF THE VESSEL, SAID SUPPORT ASSEMBLY OF METAL FLANGE MEMBERS SUPPORTING 